A-Day notebook: Jeremiah Dinson injures shoulder in spring scrimmage

AUBURN — Add Jeremiah Dinson to a damage-filled spring season where Auburn had already lost two wide receivers and two centers to major injuries.

On a major hit that caused a fumble early in the second quarter of Saturday's A-Day game, the rising sophomore defensive back was helped off the field while holding his right shoulder. After the team went into the locker room for the halftime break, Dinson, who had 47 tackles last season in a backup role, and is projected to be major contributor to Auburn’s thin returning secondary in terms of experienced talent, was seen in a sweat suit while wearing a sling on his right arm.

“He had a little shoulder,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said. “I don't know how serious it was but he had a shoulder injury.”

For the rest of the first half of the scrimmage, Dinson was replaced by the combination of freshmen Jamien Sherwood and Quindarious Monday.

Malzahn said Saturday that his biggest regret of the spring was the major knee injuries to wide receivers Eli Stove and Will Hastings that required surgery and will likely keep them out of summer workouts along with preseason camp. Auburn also suffered major lower body injuries to centers Kaleb Kim and Nick Brahms that forced the Tigers down to one scholarship player at that key position.

Another injuries Saturday were an ankle injury to second-year freshman Jordyn Peters who Malzahn said "tweaked his ankle” on a wet and sloppy Jordan-Hare Stadium field. Peters was seen in the first quarter trying to jog off the injury but never returned to the field. Malzahn said he was expected to recover quickly.

Brodarius Hamm, who was participated in his second spring after using the 2017 season to get back in shape following cancer treatments in the summer months before he enrolled at Auburn, injured his knee late in the first half and walked off the field with the help of the training staff. Malzahn said Hamm was “walking around now” and was unsure to the severity of his knee injury.

“He had a scare with his knee," Malzahn said Saturday. "He's walking around right now. We'll see how that ends up."

Auburn kicker Anders Carlson (26) kicks a field goal during the Auburn A-Day game on Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.

Carlson goes 4-for-4 on field goals: Anders Carlson said the first thing he learned from his older brother was the difference between adrenaline and nervous energy. Auburn's projected starting place-kicker said Saturday he felt he got that nervous energy out of his system during the A-Day spring game.

“I try to think of a practice as a real game situation,” Carlson said. “My brother was able to teach me that but he also said kicking inside a full stadium is so different. It was good to knock them down in front of the fans.”

Anders Carlson before his 62 yarder. Auburn football spring on Saturday, March 31, 2018 in Auburn, Ala.

Carlson converted on all four of his field-goal attempts from 45, 38, 41 and 53 yards and was hoping to get a shot from beyond 60 yards Saturday but didn’t get the nod from Malzahn.

“We were on the 43 or 44 there on fourth down and I thought I’d like to try that,” Carlson said. “But Coach Malzahn gets to make that call but I was ready if he’d asked me.”

Carlson’s older brother, Daniel, was present to receive the 2017 special teams player of the year award after setting 14 Auburn kicking records and as a Lou Groza Award finalist for a third consecutive season. Daniel Carlson is expected to be a selection in this month's NFL draft.

Auburn defensive back Jeremiah Dinson (20) and Auburn linebacker T.D. Moultry (55) for Auburn running back Cedric Chambers (43) to fumble during the Auburn A-Day game on Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.